


In the Dark

by FriendlyGiant



Category: Gintama
Genre: Cliche, Crime Fighting, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Investigations, Power Couple, Rivalry, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-14 12:40:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29542497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FriendlyGiant/pseuds/FriendlyGiant
Summary: When an underground fighting ring opens, kidnapping people and forcing them to fight, the Shinsegumi need the help of Odd Jobs to take it down.
Relationships: Hijikata Toshirou & Kondou Isao & Okita Sougo, Kagura & Sakata Gintoki & Shimura Shinpachi, Kagura/Okita Sougo, Sakata Gintoki/Tsukuyo
Comments: 2
Kudos: 29





	1. Suspicious Places Are Hidden in Plain Sight

**Author's Note:**

> So I haven’t gotten all the way through Gintama yet but I love Kagura and Sougo’s dynamic so I wanted to write my own story. Please leave advice if you guys find something I can do better!! Hope you like it!! Also this was kinda inspired by the fighting rink from the original anime, just with a bit more Okikagu!! Enjoy!

"I’m bored," said Kagura, sitting against Sadaharu’s stomach. It was a hot summer day, and Kagura was sucking on a popcicle to help with the heat. She leaned back into Sadaharu’s fur, somehow cool even with all the summer heat, and closed her eyes. "I wish we could get a job for once, maybe even get paid, right Gin-chan?" Popping one eye open, she swirled the popcicle around her mouth as she watched Gin sigh and glance at Kagura, setting his newest release of JUMP on the table. Turning his back towards her, he put his head on his arm. "Be grateful Kagura! You wouldn’t even be able to laze around if I wasn’t here! You kids don’t know how to appreciate moments like these, all you think about is money. If you want some so bad, go and ask the tax robbers for our money back, maybe you could knock some sense into them. Horrible bas-"

"Gin-san!! I got us a job!!" said Shinpatchi, slamming open the door to the living room. Shinpatchi glanced around, seeing the mess of dishes, broken popcicle sticks, sukonbu wrappers, and magazines lying all over the room, mostly because of Kagura. She jumped up from her place on Sadaharu to snatch the paper he held in his hands away from him, quickly reading through the description.

_Help NEEDED!! If you can fight well and want to earn some money, meet us at the cherry blossoms at 6:00 PM tonight. Bring your weapons. If you finish the job, you get 1,000,000 yen_

Kagura let out a joyful hoot and ran up to Gin. Shoving him off the couch, she waved the flyer in his face. "Gin-chaaan, look at the reward! This is the perfect job for us aru~!! We can make all this money easily since you can do the work. Let’s go!!" She grabbed his arm and hauled him up and out the door, calling Sadaharu and grabbing her parasol on the way out. As they headed down the stairs, she let go of Gin’s arm to jump the rest of the way down. Looking back over her shoulder, she paused and turned until she was again facing the stairs.

"What’s the problem?" she asked, carefully watching Gin-chan and Shinpatchi as they stood at the top of the steps. "Uhh...listen Kagura, this is a really suspicious request, asking us to come if we can fight good, with our weapons. Not only that, but the money they offered was a lot, and the fact that they left this flyer only at our house is just too much of a coincidence to ignore. Also, I just don’t feel like going out today, it’s too hot," Gin-chan said, yawning. Slipping her gaze to the front of the Yorozuya building, she saw that Gin-chan was right. Whoever sent the flyer had taped it all over the front of the house, leaving only the doors and roof untouched.

"I thought I would be able to get Gin-san to go and get us the money but I guessed he noticed," Shinpatchi said as he sighed, sitting down on the top step. 

"How much of an idiot do you think I am glasses?! I’m not Kagura or a pair of glasses so why do you think so little of me?!" shouted Gin-chan. 

"I’m not a pair of glasses Gin-san!! I’m human too! A human!!" yelled Shinpatchi, right back at his face. 

"What we should really be worrying about is why you called me an idiot Gin-chan. I’m not an idiot!! I don’t care how suspicious it is, I'm going to go get the money and buy all the sukonbu I can eat and I’m not sharing with either of you!! Come on Sadaharu, lets leave these idiots."

Huffing, she turned around and headed towards the cherry trees, parasol up and Sadaharu following behind. There was a cool breeze outside, relieving her from some of the heat of the summer sun, and giving her a little boost of energy. She was a little worried about what she would have to do when she got to the cherry blossoms, seeing as today was an especially hot day, but then again she was probably way more powerful than most humans, except Gin-chan. But she would never admit that out loud.

Speaking of people she was more powerful than, she hadn’t had a fight with that bastard Sadist in a while. Just thinking of his indifferent, punchable face and dead red eyes made her blood boil and fists twitch. She didn’t understand how such a weak guy had consistently tied her in his matches. Or how he could be so shameless as to leave for a date during their last one. She refused to go out and fight him since then, of course sitting at home mourning for the girl that was dating him. How could anyone ever like that man? He was the prince of Sadists, and such an arrogant guy that she didn’t know what girls saw in him.

Clenching her fists, she started to walk faster, Sadaharu patiently trotting next to her until she reached the cherry blossom trees. It was almost six, so she shoved thoughts of certain Sadists to the back of her mind and looked around for someone to tell her where she could get the money.

The slight breeze fluttered the cherry blossoms, sending some spiraling around her and down to the ground. They gave off a very sweet smell, almost as sweet as Gin-chan’s parfaits, making her feel slightly drowsy. 

Lazily looking around for someone, she finally gave up and sat down in the shade instead, deciding that if someone really needed someone to help them, they would come find her. Something wasn’t right, she could feel it, but she was too tired to care. Patting the ground next to her, she propped her parasol up against the tree while waiting for Sadaharu to lay down next to her. 

She snuggled her body into the cool, comfortable fur as soon as he settled in. Sadaharu looked just as sleepy as her, as he put his head to rest on top of her body. A short nap wouldn’t hurt, seeing as she is worked to the bone by Gin-chan all the time, running errands and such for him, without even being paid. 

Too tired to keep her eyes open anymore, with the sweet smell of cherry blossoms surrounding her and Sadaharu as a very comfortable pillow, she closed her eyes. Right before slipping into the sweet bliss of sleep, unsure if she was dreaming, Kagura heard a small, insignificant noise, but so unmistakable that it made her, even this close to sleep, freeze. As the click of a gun echoed in her ears, Kagura struggled to wake up but still slipped into the unconsciousness of a sweet slumber, unaware that when she woke up, her lazy summer days were over.

_Meanwhile, back at Odd Jobs..._

"Come on Sadaharu, lets leave these idiots!!" said Kagura. Gin watched as her small frame disappeared around the corner of a building, that huge dog following right behind her. " Look at what you’ve done, glasses! Now a young girl is going to a suspicious place for money all because you showed her that suspicious flyer. As punishment, clean up all the flyers outside of this building!" he yelled. 

"You’re only saying that because you don’t want to clean up these flyers!!" yelled the pair of glasses back at him. 

"As if! I’m seriously concerned about Kagura over here while you just want to get out of the responsibility of your actions!"

"Oi."

"You’re not concerned about her at all! Stop lying! Just admit that you don’t want to clean!"

"Oi!"

"There is nothing to admit about anything except that you are trying to get out of your responsibilities!! Just clean it, its not that hard!"

"OI! IDIOTS! SHUT UP!"

Both stopped yelling and looked down to the bottom of the stairs where Hijikata stood, smoking a cigarette and panting a little from his outburst. He settled back and took a drag of the cigarette, slowly blowing it out as Gin and Shinpatchi watched him.

"Sorry to break up your lovers spat, but you’re disturbing the neighborhood. Shut up. And what’s with the new paint job?" said Hijikata, motioning with his hand towards the flyers. "It’s ugly," he finished, leaning against the wall next to him.

"No one asked!" said Shinpatchi and Gin in sync.

"Anyways, you’re probably wondering why I’m here so I’ll get straight to the point. Don’t mind if I do." he said, walking up the stairs and straight into their house, going to sit on the couch. Gin and Shipatchi followed after him and soon sat on the opposite couch across the table. 

"This place is a mess, clean it sometime, but not right now. Here’s the thing: the Shisengumi need your help. Recently, a new underground fighting ring opened up here in Kabukicho, forcing people to join to fight for the higher ups enjoyment. They send out flyers, promising a large amount of money, but never give it to you, they just kidnap you when you least expect it and—wait." Pausing his quick flow of words, he looked around the room and back towards the door leading to the front of the house. "What do those flyers on your house say?!"

Hijikata ran back outside and snatched a flyer off the wall quickly reading it. He glanced back inside and saw Gin and Shinpatchi watching him with concerned gazes, probably for his mental health. Clearing his throat, Hijikata met their eyes, suddenly extremely serious. 

"Where’s the China girl?"


	2. Waiting Is Worse Than Mayonnaise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2!! Please leave advice for me if there is something I can do better!! thxs!

_Ugh. This is so boring. I would rather watch Hijikata eat mayo than sit here for another 5 minutes. No, that’s a lie. Go die Hijikata. It’s all your fault I have to sit here right now anyway._

I sat in the middle of a cell, dark except for some feeble rays shining in through a window in the door. My hands had been handcuffed when I woke up 2, or maybe 3, hours ago; I couldn’t tell. I was able to pick the lock on them, but I left them on my wrists to make it look as if I was still held captive here.

 _If only China could see me now, she would be impressed. I wish she was here so I could beat the crap out of her in another fight. I would probably get a few broken bones in return though._

I winced, just thinking about the Yato girl’s punches and how much they hurt made my muscles throb in rememberance. _Nevermind, I don’t want her here at all. No reason to risk my life in a situation where I already have to do that_

Gorilla, or Kondo-san, had sent me to spy on some weird new underground fighting ring that he was worried about because, apparently, we can’t touch it. The higher ups in the government, those close to the shogun, had their claws stuck deep into the pockets of this industry, unbeknownst to the common folk, and even the shogun himself. 

_Of course Hijikata, that bastard, just HAD to recommend me to Kondo for the job, and of course that Gorilla just HAD to accept his recommendation, despite my protests. I really will kill you one day Hijikata._

Having nothing else to think about, except maybe some general guesses on who might be the brains of the operation, I tried to get some sleep. I don’t know how long I sat there, waiting for something to happen or someone to walk past my cell that I could bully into giving me the keys, but it was long enough for me to wish to see Hijikata’s face with 25% of my heart. 

I was scared to sit there doing nothing for so long that I would actually want to see Hijikata, so I took off the shackles and walked around the tiny cell. 

_I wonder what the boss is doing right now. Maybe they’re out on a job. I wonder if Kagura is looking for me. I want to fight her. She’s the only one who has ever stood in my way successfully this long, besides Hijikata. I just want to see that pale face of her’s shocked so bad that she can’t talk when I have a knife to her throat and finally, FINALLY defeat her-_

Lost in my delusions of Kagura’s suffering, I didn’t hear the guard until it was almost too late. I hurried back to my spot on the floor and placed the shackles back on my wrists just in time for the cell door opposite mine in that dark hallway to open. 

_So he wasn’t even going to open my door. This was totally unnecessary, unless~_

"Hey! You! The dumb one who just opened that door! Can you open mine too? It would be really helpful, thanks," I deadpanned, carefully draining my voice of all emotion. There was no response until the guard had locked up the other prisoner and peeked inside my cell. In the time it took them to do that, I had turned myself around and hunched over my lap, as if I was hiding something.

Apparently my ruse worked, as the guard opened the door. 

"What’cha got there, huh?" said the guard. He looked strong, as in lots of muscle, but if he was dumb enough to open that door, he can’t be much of a threat. I tensed my muscles, ready to spring the moment he came in range of my feet. Still keeping my voice emotionless, I said "If you want to know, you have to pay the fee, but you obviously don’t have enough money for that."

"Hahaha!! Looks like you’re a talker, eh. Well you just don’t know your place yet. I have the permission to do anything I want to any of you prisoners. I can decide if you live or die in the arena out there. All you have to do is-"

I cut his little speech short by sweeping my legs behind me and knocking him down. From there I grabbed his arm and flipped him over, so that I was on top of him, shoving his face into the dirty stone of the cell floor. Pinning his arm behind his back, I drew the sword from his hip and hit his temple with the hilt so he fell unconscious. Quickly grabbing the keys off of him, I grabbed the shackles that were once restraining me and attached them to his arms.

"You really did help me survive." I quipped back to him before striding out the door and locking it with the keys behind me. Glancing up from the door after locking it, I saw the door of the prisoner that the guard locked up right before he came to my cell. 

_If I help that person escape, I can make him my slave for life. I will have saved his life, after all._

Unlocking the door, I walked into the cell only to stop short at the sight in front of me. 

There laid China, the person I was just thinking about. 

_Maybe I’m psychic_

But what in the world was she doing here?

Slowly, a sardonic grin crept upon my face as I plucked out the sharpie marker I always had on me in case of emergencies like this. This was the perfect chance to get back at China for her existence. I knelt down next to her face, the scarce lighting giving her pale skin an almost ethereal glow as I inched the marker down to her upper lip. Slowly and precisely I started tracing the light curve of a mustache on her porcelain skin, the black almost looking sinful above her plump lips.

_What the heck am I thinking!? This is China, the pig, a literal gorilla that can break bones with her bare hands. She is so much better when she’s just quiet and still like this, not moving. Now that I take a closer look though, she actually is pretty nice looking. If only she would stay like this forever. Never to wake up and annoy me aga-_

My thoughts were cut short by a soft whimper escaping from the lips I was just admiring. I watched as a tear, as small and fragile as a piece of glass cut a line down her face and to her neck. Unconsciously my hand went out and swiped the tear away from marring her perfect face. As I was drawing my hand back, she suddenly reached out and grasped my hand with a force the would break the bones of any normal human’s hand, whereas only a few of my fingers were dislocated. It hurt like hell.

"Darnit China, let go of my hand!" I said trying to pry her tight grip off of my hand with my free hand. He hands were colder and smaller than I remembered from our last fight. 

"Don’t leave me alone. Please don’t go!" she said, quietly letting another tear trickle down her face. "No, mommy. MOM!"

***

Gasping like a fish out of water, Kagura sat up from the nightmare she hadn’t had ever since she came to the Yorozuya. Her face was wet from the tears that slipped out while her guard was lowered in sleep. She reached her hands up to wipe her eyes only to find that she was gripping someone else’s hand, and quite tightly.

"I know you love me but you don’t have to be so obvious about it. I don’t think I ever want to hold hands with you again," an emotionless voice drawled, right in her ear.

Jumping slightly, Kagura turned, only to see the person she wanted to see the least out of everyone that could have possibly been there, sitting right next to her with an unbothered look on his face. 

"Sadist!?"


	3. Most Decisions Made Are Bad Ones, But Some Are Good

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heyyy!! thanks for reading and comment some things you might want to see in future fanfics I would love to write other stories so feel free to leave some ideas!!! Hope you enjoyy😁😁

Quickly snatching my hands away from the Sadist’s, I stood up, tears forgotten, and wiped my hands on my qipao. "Oi. You better not tell me you’re here for the money. Sorry to disappoint but I will be getting it."

Placing my hands on my hips, I looked down at him from where I was standing only to see him quietly laughing behind his hand.

"Hey!! What are you laughing at, huh?! I don’t think I said anything funny, yes?"

Still quietly laughing at me, he stood up, making me look up at his tall frame instead of down. He leaned towards me and glanced at the side of my face. 

"Nothing, China. Nothing at all."

Quickly backing away from the sudden closeness, I looked around the room I was in. The last thing I remember was falling asleep under the cherry blossoms with Sadaharu, and something clicked...

"Right!! How could I forget? This place isn’t what it looks like, I’m pretty sure they took me here by gunpoint. Something bad is happening here."

The sound of clapping came from behind me, so I looked over and saw the Sadist standing there, slowly clapping. Our eyes met and unsurprised, he said,"Good job China. You managed to state the most obvious thing happening right now. You should become a detective."

Turning around, he ran out the cell door before I could get a punch in, infuriating me. 

He left just like mommy.

_Woah, ok, stop it Kagura, you are not the same weak defenseless girl you once were, yes? Now you have things to protect. It must be the after-effects of the nightmare coming back that are making me think this way._

Pushing these negative thoughts to the back of my mind, I rushed out of my cell after the Sadist, ready to give him a punch of forgetfulness for seeing my weakness. As I emerged, I sensed more than saw the sheathed sword headed towards my head, obviously from the Sadist. 

"Holding back now, are you? You realized what a cute and defenseless girl I am now, yes? How much of a shame it would be if my face were to be scarred?"

Punching the sheathed sword upwards, I used the opening to aim a punch at his stomach, but he twisted out of the way before I could touch him. 

"Just making sure that whatever measures used to capture a gorilla like you didn’t damage the few brain cells you have left."

"Heh. At least I have some, yes?" I shot back, picking my nose and flicking the booger at his face. 

Wiping the snot off of his horrible, emotionless face, he turned around without even responding, making me boil. At the end of the long hallway of prisoners was a door which he was headed towards, and I followed, knocking down all the prisoners’ doors on the way there. The people located inside were a mix of all sorts of Amanto and humans, but one thing they all had was strength. I could tell they were seasoned warriors when my Yato blood started swirling, begging to see if any one of them stood a chance against me.

Shoving down the ever-growing feeling of bloodlust, I watched as the Sadist opened the door with the keys he’d had. Carefully cracking the door to be as unnoticeable as possible, he peeked out looking for any guards that might be outside. Finally fully opening it, he stepped out and I followed, standing beside him as I noticed the predicament we had found ourselves in. 

Outside the door was four different passageways.

_At Odd Jobs..._

"Where’s the China girl?!" Hijikata said for the third time, watching both Gintoki and Shinpatchi glance at each other. 

Finally Shinpatchi answered saying, "Umm, she went...to the place...on the flyer." Looking defeated, Patchi glanced at Gin to see what he would say, only to find him sitting in the couch picking up his JUMP like nothing had happened. 

"She’ll be fine. She is a grown woman who can take care of herself now. No need for us to worry. Not at all. Right!?!"

Staring at Gin, Shinpatchi said, "Um, Gin-san? Your leg is shaking a lot right now. Are you...worried for Kagura-chan?"

"Am I worried!?!" he said, setting down the JUMP and standing up and starting to pace. "Ok, I’ll admit that if her old man finds out that I let his daughter go to a suspicious place by herself and let her get hurt, he will kill me!! Even worse, he will castrate me and then kill me. If I’m going to die, I want to die with all my parts intact, thank you very much!! So I am a bit worried."

"Whatever bad things happen to you, you deserve it. But anyways, the 6:00 mark has already passed, so either China girl is heading back this way after defeating those people, or she was captured and is now their prisoner. Both are equally likely, so let’s just head over to the cherry blossoms and see if we see her there or on the way back, otherwise she is most likely their prisoner" said Hijikata, heading out the door. 

Sighing, Gin followed, complaining about Umibozu and how he didn’t want to go save Kagura the whole time out the door.

 _I hope you’re ok Kagura_ thought Shinpatchi.

**** 

"My arm hurts." complained Kagura, knocking out the last guard with a right hook that had Sougo wincing, knowing what it felt like to be on the receiving end of one of her punches. We had decided to stick together, rather China decided to stay with Sougo, no matter how annoying he was, so she wouldn’t get lost. They had chosen the 3rd passageway to the left, obviously the wrong one because of the amount of guards found in this passageway.

 _Well she’s fine_ He thought, glancing over at the black streak of sharpie on one side of her face. Smirking to himself, he finally stood up from where he was stripping a guard and turned to fully face Kagura, seeing her face look disgusted at what he was doing.

_Huh?_

"Oh wow. I didn’t know you swing that way, Sadist. Guess I miss judged you when I thought you left our fight for a girl that one time. It’s kinda gross how your stripping him right here, though. Get a room. No one likes PDA."

"First of all, I’m not gay, I’m getting the guards clothes so I can sneak into the arena unnoticed. Second of all, I left that fight because of an assignment, I was kidding about the date. Guess it really did bother you though, huh? To be thinking about it this whole time?"

"As if. I was wondering who would date a Sadist like you in the first place, yes? I didn’t think anyone would be able to mistake you for a human being."

"Well, no matter what you say, I’m always a hit with the girls. No need to be so jealous, unless you really do like me? Hmm?"

Smirking to himself, he turned back to getting the guard’s armor off, only to hear nothing. From anyone else this would be normal. 

But it was China, who was not normal. 

Almost scared of what he would see if he turned around, he peeked his eyes to the side, registering nothing. Senses on high alert, he turned around fully, only to find nothing there.

China was gone.


End file.
